


Of Coffee and Cakes

by sourdades



Category: Taynew, รักไม่ระบุสถานะ | Dark Blue Kiss (TV)
Genre: M/M, Set in Seattle, Strangers to Lovers, new is food blogger, new yorkers new, not exactly slowburn, tay is photographer, unbetaed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:55:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23753461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sourdades/pseuds/sourdades
Summary: He was the one saying he wanted some peace and warmth, yet he was also the one complaining about being a misfit.
Relationships: New Thitipoom Techaapaikhun/Tay Tawan Vihokratana
Comments: 1
Kudos: 46





	Of Coffee and Cakes

Few weeks in Seattle and Tay Tawan still felt like he was such a misfit in this small city. Seattle was known for being the city of elderly, peaceful and full of the warmness and familiarity. Yet Tay felt like an outsider. The city was way different than Los Angeles, the one he used to call home for almost a decade.

He was the one saying he wanted some peace and warmth, yet he was also the one complaining about being a misfit.

Los Angeles was something you could not engage with the word of peace and warmth, it was the city of showbiz. If you missed a blink, you would get lost because the city moved in insane pace that no one could really follow. It was a city that never cared about who you were, where you came from--a perfect place to started a new life.

Tay used to be content with the new life Los Angeles gave him. After all, he came from small city in Utah only to reach his dream as a journalist. And where was a place that's more suitable to be photographer and journalist than Los Angeles, the city of angels who were also known as the city full of story? You could get anything there, it was a city that never knew a break, because every day felt like weekend.

It was a city where entertainment never stopped.

But after few years, it was all meaningless to Tay. The stories he made, the pictorials he took even though it was for some top stars or grammy winners, all of his works felt so bland and he did not even feel the joy of his job. What used to be something he looked forward to turned into something he had to do to stay alive.

His passion was burned out.

The decision to move to Seattle and helped his uncle was not impulsive one. In fact, it was even more planned that the first time he left Utah for California. Tay thought he needed a break. Maybe he had been working too hard for years and the glow Los Angeles gave started to overwhelm his guts.

So here he was, attending the cashier in his uncle's coffee and cake shop not far from the local university and baseball park. One thing he loved from working near university was the students--when he looked at students studying in shop before their class, it reminded him of those days he was still full of spirit and passion. Something he determined to find now.

It was spring and the new season of baseball had just begun, as well as new semester in university, yet the cafe was not as packed as it usually was. Amidst the boredom of quiet morning, Tay spotted a man entering the shop. He stood out compared to other students or baseball fans attending their shop, and Tay was sure it was much more than the handsome face that came along with his figure.

"Hello, may I take your order?"

The man looked at the cake display in front of him. "It looks like you have new york cheese cake, quite unusual in Seattle. I would like to have a slice of it along with latte. Iced."

Oh.

Tay knew what made the man stood out.

He was definitely not from Seattle. The man was from New York, his tone spoke volume of it.

"Okay, may I have your name?"

"It's New. I will pay with credit card."

"A slice of new york cheese cake and a cup of iced latte," he repeated New's order. "It was still early in season, but Mariners suck, don't you think so, new?"

Words came out without his control. Chances were, if New was actually from Seattle, he would get sworn at. But to confirm his suspicion, New laughed as he handed him the card. "it was quiet ballsy of you to say when you're only ten minutes away from Safeco Park."

"It was a little intentional, though, I know visitor when I found one. Something I learnt after few weeks of being here. Do you happen to be baseball fan?"

New shook his head upon the question. "No, but my city got two. I am from New York, you probably have it guessed already," he answers, "I see. You're also new. It's good to find another outsider in this small city."

"Oh, aren't you curious about where I came from?"

To Tay's surprise, New shook his head again. "You have quite a ball to say something like that and pretty much engaging conversation with me. You are definitely from Los Angeles and I know who you are, Tay Tawan. Heard about you a lot among journalists. No wonder you look familiar when I stepped in."

"You are a journalist too?" That would not be surprising. New York and Los Angeles did have lots of big papers and magazine, though both talked about different topics.

"I ran food-blogs and worked for some magazines."

"Ran?"

"Ran."

New came often after their first encounter and they exchanged phone number after their fourth meeting. Sometimes New came around breakfast time, or after dinner when he would get extra sweetness as the reward for working on his projects during daylight. But more often, he came around 2PM when the shop was quiet, well, who got their coffee at 2PM anyway, so he could chat with Tay a bit, accompanied with his favorite latte and plate of small cake.

Sometimes it was on the house because Tay liked the joy on New's face each time he tasted something good.

Over the past two weeks, they chatted a lot about what they liked to call as "previous life." It turned out they came to Seattle for the same reason, to take some break from the hectic city life and getting their purpose in check. New was actually pretty famous food-blogger behind Food Escape page and had worked with several lifestyle magazine. They never really crossed path, as Tay's job mostly covering high-end entertainment sections and events.

"When I first announced that I would be putting Food Escape on hiatus, everyone told me that I made insane decision, that I would lose my audience and clients, that I would lose money," said New on one of their afternoon coffee, "but at that time, I thought I have privilege to choose--that I've made enough to last me couple of months. A bit arrogant, I know."

"Well, people told me the same things, but I know I can't last couple of months. So here I am, attending coffee shop hoping that being with coffee will make me miss camera and the lightning of showbiz."

"Do you?"

To New's surprise, Tay shook his head. "Not really. I mean, I know deep down inside I still love what I did. My love for photography is something that will never fade. But I am no longer sure about keep on going as photographer. People said if we work according to our passion, it won't feel like we are working. But at some point in my career, picking up the camera has become something I HAVE to do instead of something I like to do. I no longer feel joy in it."

"I think it applies on me too."

"You don't feel joy in eating anymore? What a surprise, considering you just let me blabber about Coldplay concert without uttering a word because you were too immersed in red velvet cake."

New hit Tay's shoulder in playful manner, puckering his lips a bit at the comment. "No, with writing about foods. When you got big, people would pay shitload for you to write something good about their foods. And as the time goes, it feels like what I do is no longer honest. I just write about what pays me instead of focusing on how the food affects me. I lose my purpose and adoration in what I do. Like what you said once, it becomes something we do because we happen to be damn good at it."

"So... you're coming here to find your purpose again?"

His question was answered with a single nod. "Pretty much. When I was no longer pressured in writing something and started exploring foods in different way, maybe I will find it. Or maybe, you will see me in masterchef kitchen next week. Food means a lot to me. It shows me that everyone can be happy at some point, because good foods will always be able to put smile on your face. And that's what we all want, right? To be able to smile and content with our life."

"That's pretty deep. How is it going for you so far?"

"Pretty good. But I definitely sleep better without New York's chaotic mess. I wonder if I can stay here for good, Tay. Make a living here."

"I've been asking the same thing. My uncle pays me enough, after all," Tay admitted, "but is that it? Can we get fulfilled with what we do now?"

"Three weeks down and I already feel like home for quite a while."

The smile on New's face made Tay hope on something. He was not going to lie, over the few weeks, he grew attracted to New. The man was nice, he was cool and extremely intelligent as well. It was not hard to like New. But somehow Tay got himself confused, what if he only feel attracted to New because they were two misfits in quiet city?

I mean, they said that we tended to fall for the one sharing same fate as us in uncomfortable situation, right?

Fall.

Really, did he really fall for New? He did feel at ease when he was with New, as if all the noise that would not leave him since Los Angeles just vanished into thin air. It felt warm like the feeling spring given him. It felt comfortable--like he was at home.

Like the first time he stepped into Los Angeles.

Tay could not forget the comfortable feeling when he first stepped in to Los Angeles for college, feeling that maybe he had found a place where he belong. He felt excited about what would come next, about how his tomorrow would turned out.

And he felt it again now. With New. He found himself waiting when would the pale skinned male enters the shop, what kind of topic would he throw at him as he ordered his favorite iced latte.

Home did not have to be a place, right? It could be a home.

But was it genuine?

Tay was a noob when it came to love. A decade in Los Angeles and he barely got to date anyone. Work had always been more interesting than human interaction until he met New.

When the younger asked him to go for a walk on his day off, Tay immediately agreed. They got out quite a lot, usually out of Tay's shift, where New would drive around the city or they would take a stroll around the small neighborhood and let Tay took pictures of him.

What he did not expect was visiting another coffee shop as if they had not spend insane hours in his shop.

"First of all, I know you've been complaining in your head, on why would we visit a coffee shop," New laughed as they were seated on a corner, "but you have to know that we're sitting in FIRST ever starbucks branch. This is historical site, my friend."

Friend.

Was that what it was?

A friend.

But New looked so damn happy when his new york cheesecake arrived. So Tay let it slide.

"Actually, no one has new york cheesecake better than New York," New states in between him munching on the cake, "but I don't think I will go back in near future."

"You will stay here."

"I found my home here, Tay," New's gaze was staring right at Tay as he said that, "I've never been feeling so content. It makes me think that the reason I lose my purpose was because everything got too overwhelming and there was no one that pulled me back. But over few weeks, talking to you helped me in a way I never imagine. I started doing everything again. I think we will see Food Escape again in few weeks. But I don't know if I can stay sane if I come back to New York again."

Tay was not sure about how to respond. That was exactly how he felt about New, how the other male made him picked up his camera again. What was full of celebrities and concerts are now full of New and the foods. Or the beauty of Seattle that he hadn't appreciate enough. Because New reminded him, that the most beautiful part of photography was capturing the moment and telling people what you felt about the object without words.

But, could New tell the adoration Tay felt toward him over pictures?

"Tay? You're spacing out." New clapped, snapping him back to reality. "Are you... thinking about going back to Los Angeles?"

"No, but I am definitely thinking about working with my camera again. It makes me feel full. I learn that I used to not understand why I took certain photos, so it felt bland. And I hate doing things that was less than good. If you are going stay here, then I don't think I have any reason to leave."

It was an implicit confession and Tay knew that he took all the chance he got with New. It was either they got together like those in movie, or he had to get back to Los Angeles because things got too awkward, Or maybe New would take his works and flew back to JFK.

"Then I have all the reason to stay as well." The look on Tay's face must had been funny because New laughed. And god, it was adorable. "I know you're thinking about what I am thinking. And honestly? I don't know what I am feeling either but I definitely want you more than I want a friend."

"Glad that this isn't a friendship," Tay responded, feeling relieved that he was not in a friendzone loop, "I just feel at ease when I am with you."

"I do too."

"I want to ask you for a date but people go out for coffee for their dates and that's all we've doing apart from awkward midnight stroll. Damn."

"I say we drive to border on my next day off. See if we can get some good foods for your great come back. I will take the pictures."

New smiled as he took last bite of his cake. "Oh, you are bribing me with free photographer agenda."

"I am asking you to be partners here."

"Accepted."

Their hands somehow reached for each other's, intertwining their fingers together as they stared into each other's eyes with huge smile. Yeah. They were home. It was not Seattle, the answer of their overwhelming life.

It was that both Tay and New lacked people that would pull them away from their overwhelming loop. So now that they found home in each other, they also found their purpose back on track.He guessed that everyone needed another person to pull them, and home was not always about a place. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt in the fandom and I am a bit lost... yeah. Please give me your thoughts!


End file.
